The main focus during Mongol rule was becoming a great military land power, and most people had very little concern for naval developments. After Mongol rule in China, leaders were eager to restore pure Chinese culture, therefore outlawing large trade-ships from leaving the country.
Ethnocentrism
It has been shown throughout history, that the Chinese have a distinct nationalism and ethnocentrism. They have often shown that they feel that their nation is superior as well as their culture (i.e. Policies of Isolationism).
River Valleys
Huang River/ Yellow River
Origination of the Chinese people began in this river valley.
Called the “Yellow River” because it often floods and deposits significant amounts of yellow silt. This is the most dangerous river in the area.
Confucianism
Confucious lived during the Chou dynasty: a time of social disorder and chaos. He therefore believed that solving these problems would only come about by instating social order and mutual respect for all, explained by the five relationships.
No teaching of God or life after death.
Code of Conduct
The Five Relationships
Husband to wife, parent to child, brother to younger brother, Ruler to Minister/subject and friend to friend.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) Golden Age
Emperor Han
Established Confucianism as official religion
Established Civil service exams (required for participation in government).
Silk Road
Opened up new trade routes. Brought the introduction of new foods, and led to contact between China and regions of the Middle East.
Got its name from China’s most abundant export: silk.
Accomplishments
Advancement in Sciences/Medicine: Acupuncture, zoology, botany, astronomy, chemistry, and architecture.
Introduced: rudder, paper, fishing reel, and wheelbarrow.
Tang Dynasty (618 CE – 907 CE) Golden Age
Leaders expanded influence into areas like Central and Southeast Asia, and demanded tribute from them.
Redistribution of land for peasants. Confucist scholars began to work for the government.
Strict social structure imposed: Gentry, Peasants, and Merchants. (Highest in social structure à lowest in social structure). Unlike European social structures, social mobility was very possible and not uncommon.
Scientists invented: gunpowder, mechanical clocks, block printing and vaccines, towards the end of the dynasty.
Opium Wars
The Chinese considered themselves the “Middle Kingdom” (the belief that they were at the center of the world). They thought that Europeans wanted to trade their worthless trinkets for priceless Chinese pieces. To set off this imbalance, Britain introduced opium into Chinese society.
The Chinese government attempted to stop the British from trading opium with the Chinese, but ultimately failed.
Unequal treaties (19c)
Because of the Treaty of Nanjing, the Chinese were required to:
Pay reparations to Britain.
Open ports for British trade, breaking their isolationism policy.
Provide Britain of control of Hong Kong.
Allow British citizens living in China to live under British law and be tried in British courts, only.
This led other European nations to follow, and also establish unequal treaties with China for their own economic benefit.
Spheres of Influence were established by Western European countries in China, which bothered the Chinese and led to a series of uprisings.
Boxer Rebellion (1900)
The people of China rose up against the foreign influences in their country. The European countries saw this as a threat to their profits, so they formed a coalition and put down the rebellion.
Revolution of 1911
Causes:
Social Discontent
Government Inefficiency (Manchu Court).
Dissatisfaction with Constitutional Movement.
Acceptance of revolutionary ideas by intellectuals.
Wuhan Uprising – successful.
Strong military positions, strong armed force, little government resistance, support from wealthy merchants.
Results:
New Provisional Government: Sun Yat-Sen / Sun Yixian is elected President.
Sun Yat-Sen
Nationalist leader, fought to end foreign domination.
Formed Nationalist Party and overthrew the Manchu Dynasty.
Replaced Manchu Dynasty with a republican government and was elected president of the Chinese Republic and New Provisional Government.
Communist victory (1949)
Communists (led by Mao Zedong) defeated Kuomingdang (Nationalist Party led by Chang Kai-shek in the Chinese civil war
Communists now in control of mainland China
Nationalist party in charge of Taiwan and some islands
Communists supported by Soviet Union; Taiwan supported by US
Mao proclaimed People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949
Mao Zedong (1893-1976)
Leader of the Communist party in China and won the civil war against the Nationalist party
Created unified China without foreign domination
Initiated Great Leap Forward and started the Cultural Revolution
Chairman of the People’s Republic of China
Disliked criticism of the government (anti-rightist movement)
Communes
China separated into large communes during the Great Leap Forward
Contained about 5000 families
Everything owned by the commune; worked for commune, not for self
Everything was provided there: entertainment, health care, schools, etc.
Every aspect of life was controlled by the commune
Great Leap Forward
Initiated by Mao to help economic growth
Collectivized agriculture and small industry in rural areas
Failed because of droughts (caused famine that killed millions of Chinese) and Soviet Union stopped supporting it (felt Mao was pushing too hard to a communist revolution
Cultural Revolution (1966-1969)
Encouraged revolutionary committees of Red Guards to take power from the state and Communist party authorities
Believed in purging of intellectuals and imperialists, carried out mostly by Red Guards
Against religion: mosques, temples, churches burned
Labeled many “counterrevolutionaries” and purged; also great leaders such as Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping and economic reforms
Reformed and opened up economy (foreign investments) à socialist market economy
Believe in the Four Modernizations: agriculture, industry, science and technology, and military
Signed agreement with the UK that Hong Kong would return to China in 1997
Four Modernizations: agriculture, industry, science and technology, and military
Legal reform; laws passed in National People’s Congress
Tiananmen Square and human rights
Demonstrated at Tiananmen Sqare on June 4,1989
Student and intellectuals protest against slow reforming
Wanted end to corruption in the government
Wanted rights given in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China
Deng declared martial law on May 20th
Military came in with weapons to clear demonstrators from the stree
Resulted in high numbers of students going overseas because countries gave political refuge
MFN status and the WTO
In 1971, PRC was finally accepted by the Security Council of the UN (Taiwan had be the china accepted before)
Most of the United States’ trading partners have MFN statue (renamed Normal Trade Relations)
All pay same tariffs when enter US
Bilateral trade relationship that allows each country to have the most advantageous trade agreement with the other country
